JPH0614908B2 - Quantitative measurement device for rough skin - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a rough skin quantifying and measuring apparatus that quantifies and measures rough skin by image analysis from an image of the skin.

[Prior Art] So-called "rough skin" that occurs on the skin is a symptom that many people are conscious and aware of in everyday life, but there is still no suitable and simple measurement method, and in the case of minor symptoms, Since he does not visit a dermatologist, he cannot immediately apply appropriate creams that match his skin quality and symptoms.
There are many cases in which the symptoms worsen.

Conventionally, when making a rough skin determination, it is a general practice to rely on visual judgment by a dermatologist or the like. In addition, when a microscopic level judgment is required, there is an indirect destruction method called a replica method using a sump, a silicon impression material, etc. To help, it only shows a magnified image of the test area on the monitor screen.

In any case, these methods are finally based on a numerically graded evaluation by an expert, and there is no apparatus that allows an unskilled person to easily determine rough skin based on a measured value.

Furthermore, the skin analysis device developed by the cosmetics manufacturer is not intended to quantify the rough skin, but the judgment value (count value) of rough skin by an expert is one factor to determine the condition of the entire skin. It is to analyze and estimate.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] An object of the present invention is to check the rough skin condition of a customer at a store or the like, or to check the rough skin condition before seeking a professional judgment as one of the skin care systems. An object of the present invention is to provide a quantification measuring device for rough skin, which can be easily and yet measured as a quantitative value.

[Means for Solving Problems] A skin roughness quantification measuring device of the present invention for achieving the above object is a measuring device which detects a dry desquamation change in skin and quantifies and measures the skin roughness based on the detection. There
An image input device that captures a skin image as a still image in a state in which gloss is removed by incorporating a polarizing lens into the input optical system, and the micro region based on the grayscale average value of the micro regions in the image captured by the image input device. An image processing device that binarizes the image with a threshold value determined for each and quantifies the ratio of the area occupying the entire region in which the dry desquamation change occurs as a skin roughness rate, and the skin roughness by the image processing device. An output device for outputting a quantification result is provided.

[Operation] In the image input device, the gloss is separated and removed by the polarizing lens, and in the image processing device, the moving average process of the skin image including the dry and desquamative property is performed to eliminate the overall unevenness of the image and finally, By the binarization method, the region where the target desquamation change has occurred is separated and extracted. Further, the skin roughness rate is quantified by calculating the area ratio of the separated and extracted area in the entire area.

Therefore, it becomes possible for an unskilled person to easily grasp the rough skin condition as a quantitative value.

Embodiments Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The morphological parameter (visual information) of the rough skin, which is the most characteristic parameter of the rough skin that is frequently experienced on a daily basis and which a specialist perceives by visual judgment, includes a dry desquamation change.
The skin roughness quantification measuring device according to the present invention is intended to quantify the skin desquamation and to quantify the skin roughness, and FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of the embodiment.

That is, the skin roughness quantification measuring device shown in FIG. 1 includes an image input device 1 for capturing a skin image as a still image, and an image processing device 2 for quantifying the skin roughness ratio by processing an image obtained by the image input device. An input device 4 such as a keyboard for inputting a necessary operation instruction to the image processing device 2 and a skin imaged by the image input device 1 An output monitor 5 and the like for displaying images are attached as needed.

More specifically, first, the image input device 1 described above.
Is composed of a camera that can directly and non-destructively capture, as a still image, a skin image including a dry and desquamative change, which is the most characteristic parameter of skin roughness. This camera is equipped with a variable magnification mechanism that can magnify the skin image from a macroscopic magnification to a magnified image of about 500 times according to the purpose, and a fiber with one end connected to the light source 6 to illuminate the test area for detecting rough skin. The other end of the scope 7 is configured to be opposed to the test part.

The skin image is not required to be obtained as a color image because the desquamation change is obtained as information that appears remarkably bright due to the diffuse reflection of the intensity as compared with the surrounding normal skin surface image, and thus it is not necessary to obtain the image processing described below. A monochrome grayscale image is also suitable for simplifying.

However, there is a problem in that the gloss becomes a disturbance with respect to the change of dry desquamation, and it is not possible to easily separate and extract the change of dry desquamation using only the grayscale data. Therefore, by incorporating the polarizing lenses 9 and 10 into the input optical system 8 and the like of the image input device 1, the skin image can be taken with the gloss removed. That is, in the case of gloss, since it is so-called specularly reflected light, it can be sufficiently cut at low cost by using a polarizing lens.

The image processing apparatus 2 that quantifies the skin roughness rate by processing the image captured by the image input apparatus 1 is configured by a personal computer or the like that performs image processing described below by software. It can also be configured by hardware that performs various processes.

First, the image processing device 2 recognizes an area that appears significantly brighter than the surrounding normal skin surface image due to the diffused reflection of the intensity as the scale, but a threshold value that is a criterion of the light and shade for recognizing the scale is a scale area. There are the following problems in setting.

That is, when the observation area of the skin of the subject is illuminated almost uniformly and almost constant brightness is obtained on each of the normal skin surface and the desquamation area, the same gray scale in the image of the observation area is obtained. Taking the distribution of the number of pixels with
As shown in FIG. 2, the grayscale histogram shows clear bimodality.

However, it is difficult to provide uniform illumination to the entire observation site because the subject skin has extremely complicated undulations and there are considerable individual differences, and as a result, the grayscale histogram is usually clear. Without showing bimodality,
It becomes difficult to set the threshold.

Therefore, in the image processing apparatus 2, the relative shade difference between the scale removal site and the surrounding normal skin surface is captured for each of a large number of minute regions, and the scale determination criterion for recognizing the scale is different for each small region. By setting an appropriate threshold value (floating threshold value) for each of these minute areas, it is possible to appropriately extract the dry desquamation change.

This threshold is set for each micro area based on the average gray value of the micro areas in the image.
When the shades of pixels on the X-axis in the image show a distribution as shown in FIG. 3, appropriate regions 1 to 3 are set and the shaded average value (moving average value) for each region as shown in FIG. ) Or an appropriate value based on it) is set as a threshold value, it becomes possible to appropriately extract the dry desquamation change. The grayscale average value can also be obtained as a moving average value in a two-dimensional area consisting of m × n pixels.

Furthermore, when using such a moving average value as a threshold value or its reference, there is a problem of how large the area for moving average should be set. , It becomes impossible to properly extract the dry desquamation change. However, the size of the above area should be appropriately determined by comparing the portion determined to be desquamation by an appropriate setting with the value actually measured by other means, and verifying their consistency. Should be set.
In this case, it may be considered to add an appropriate offset to the grayscale average value.

If the gradation of each pixel in the image is binarized by a threshold value determined for each minute area based on such a moving average value, and the ratio of the area occupied by the area in which the dry desquamation property change occurs to the entire area is calculated. , As the rough skin rate,
The state of rough skin can be quantified.

The output device 3 may be any device that outputs the result of quantifying the rough skin by the image processing device 2 by some means.
The output device 3 shown in the figure is an operation monitor of the image processing device 2 constituted by a personal computer.

According to the rough skin quantification measuring device having the above-mentioned configuration, the polarization lens separates and removes the gloss, and further, the moving average process of the image removes the overall unevenness of the image, and finally the binarization method. It is possible to separate and extract the region where the target desquamation change has occurred. Further, the skin roughness rate can be quantified by calculating the area ratio of the separated and extracted area in the entire area.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the rough skin quantification measuring device of the present invention described in detail above, the following effects can be expected.

The subtle changes in skin morphology at the initial stage of rough skin can be grasped as quantitative values, and the state and timing of taking treatment with commercial cream or the like to prevent the progression of symptoms become clear.

In the development of drugs, cosmetics, and quasi drugs for the purpose of preventing or healing skin roughness, the effect confirmation can be quantified with high sensitivity even with a slight difference, and therefore, there is a great contribution to the development of these products.

An unskilled person can easily detect rough skin with a measured value.

Since the rough skin can be captured nondestructively, it is possible to perform another observation or grasp the state of the change over time thereafter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a quantification measuring apparatus for skin roughness according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of bimodality of a grayscale histogram of a skin image, and FIG. 3 is a grayscale average value of pixels in a minute area. FIG. 1 ... Image input device, 2 ... Image processing device, 3 ... Output device, 8 ... Input optical system, 9, 10 ... Polarizing lens.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A measuring device for detecting a dry desquamation change in skin and quantifying and measuring skin roughness based on the change, wherein a skin image is taken in a state in which gloss is removed by incorporating a polarizing lens into an input optical system. An image input device that captures a still image, and a threshold value that is set for each micro region based on the grayscale average value of the micro regions in the image captured by the image input device, binarizes the image, and An image processing device that quantifies the ratio of the area occupied in the entire region to the skin roughness ratio, and an output device that outputs the result of quantification of the skin roughness by the image processing device. Quantitative measurement device for rough skin.